Elsa Walsh is an American journalist and author. In 1989 she was a finalist for the
Pulitzer Prize, and she released her book ''Divided Lives: The Public and Private Struggles of 3 Accomplished Women'' in 1995. Walsh has worked for both ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' and ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
''.
Early life
Elsa Walsh grew up in an Irish-Catholic family with five siblings.
She is a graduate of the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
, where she was elected to
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
,
and began her career as a journalist in 1980.
Career
Walsh has worked as a staff reporter for ''The Washington Post''.
In 1989 she and her fellow reporter Benjamin Weiser were finalists for the Pulitzer prize for their 1988 "series about how court secrecy procedures have created a system of private justice within the public courts," according to the prize committee. The four-article series investigated the role of judges in hiding important safety information from the public through approving confidentiality agreements and sealing court records.
In 1995 she published her book ''Divided Lives: The Public and Private Struggles of 3 Accomplished Women'', in which she interviewed three women regarding their "experiences juggling marriage and a career". The women interviewed for the book were ''
60 Minutes'' reporter
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. She is best known as the original moderator of the daytime talk show '' The View'' (1997–2006), the original host of the syndicated ...
, orchestra conductor
Rachael Worby
Rachael Worby is an American conductor who currently serves as the Artistic Director, Conductor and Founder of MUSE/IQUE.
Life and career
Early life and education
Worby grew up in Nyack, New York with her parents Diana Worby, an English pro ...
, and breast surgeon
Alison Estabrook; Walsh also interviewed members of the women's families as well as their work peers.
She later became a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'', where her work included political reporting in the US as well as profiles on figures such as Saudi
Prince Bandar
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
,
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...
,
Tipper Gore
Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore (née Aitcheson; born August 19, 1948) is an American social issues advocate, activist, photographer and author who was the second lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. She was married to Al Gore, the 45th vi ...
, and
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid Jr. (; December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017 and was the Sena ...
. She has also appeared on political talk shows such as ''
Hardball with Chris Matthews
''Hardball with Chris Matthews'' was an American television talk show that was hosted by Chris Matthews. The program premiered on the now-defunct America's Talking network in 1994 (as ''Politics with Chris Matthews'') before moving on CNBC, and t ...
''. Walsh is also an editor on the books of Bob Woodward, her husband.
Personal life
Walsh is married to ''The Washington Post'' journalist
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for '' The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the title of associate editor.
While a young reporter for ''The Washingt ...
.
The two met at the ''Post'', and wed in 1989.
The two of them were featured in the 2020 book ''What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life'' by
Phil Donahue
Phillip John Donahue (born December 21, 1935) is an American media personality, writer, film producer and the creator and host of ''The Phil Donahue Show''. The television program, later known simply as ''Donahue'', was the first talk show forma ...
and
Marlo Thomas
Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. She is best known for starring on the sitcom ''That Girl'' (1966–1971) and her children's franchise '' Free to Be... You and ...
. Walsh has also appeared on the television series ''
Barefoot Contessa
''Barefoot Contessa'' is an American cooking show that premiered November 30, 2002, on Food Network, and is currently the oldest show on the network's daytime schedule. Hosted by celebrity chef Ina Garten, each episode features Garten assembli ...
'', as a guide to host
Ina Garten
Ina Rosenberg Garten ( ; born February 2, 1948) is an American author, host of the Food Network program '' Barefoot Contessa'', and a former staff member of the Office of Management and Budget.
Among her dishes are ''cœur à la crème'', celery ...
on a trip to Washington DC. Walsh has one daughter with Woodward, Diana, and a stepdaughter, Tali.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Elsa
The Washington Post journalists
The New Yorker staff writers
University of California, Berkeley alumni
20th-century American writers
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American writers
21st-century American women writers
20th-century American journalists
21st-century American journalists
American women journalists
20th-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
American political journalists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people